Amazon launches new Cloud Player music service

Amazon.com today announced the launch of an online music storage service. The details were given in a press release issued earlier.

The service is available in two options, the Amazon Cloud Player and Amazon Cloud Player for Android. The service can be used to store music on a Mac or PC and any make of Android phone or tablet, the Android version is accessible through a newly released version of the Amazon MP3 App.

Amazon also announced the launch of Cloud Drive which allows customers to store digital files including music, photos, videos and documents.

Users of Cloud Drive, which is only available to customers in the United States for now, will receive 5 GB of music storage space. In addition to the free storage space customers can get 20 GB at a cost of $20 a year or users can get 20 GB free for a year if they buy an MP3 album on Amazon, other storage plans are also available. Files can be stored in either the MP3 or ACC format.

In a press release forwarded to me by Amazon, Bill Carr, vice president of Movies and Music at Amazon, said:

"We're excited to take this leap forward in the digital experience."

"The launch of Cloud Drive, Cloud Player for Web and Cloud Player for Android eliminates the need for constant software updates as well as the use of thumb drives and cables to move and manage music."

"Our customers have told us they don't want to download music to their work computers or phones because they find it hard to move music around to different devices."

"Now, whether at work, home, or on the go, customers can buy music from Amazon MP3, store it in the cloud and play it anywhere."

Cloud player is compatible with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Chrome. It is not yet known when the service will be made available in the United Kingdom.

According to the Engadget website, the Cloud Player is also compatible with iTunes. Comments on the new music service have so far been mixed.